Tag: work from home

The Great Resignation.

After the pandemic, my organization lost a lot of people because they had grown accustomed to working from home. It was called the Great Resignation. There were many people stating reasons for why it happened, but every exit interview had the same response. They wanted to work from home like they did during the pandemic, and my organization was too slow to react on a work from home policy.

During the pandemic, I distinctly remember people talking about the new normal. Everyone assumed that they would just continue working remotely from now on, and many of them simply loved it. They could spend more time at home, where they were most comfortable. If they had a family, they got to spend more time with them. They could also just roll right out of bed and log in, as opposed to going through all the motions to get ready for work, then do the dreaded commute, only to wade through office politics and deal with an occasional unfriendly coworker.

Congratulations, you’ve lost everyone you needed to keep.

At the time of the mass exodus, I happened to be the supervisor over quite a few people who left for better opportunities. My department was almost literally reduced to zero. As each person left, one of the managers under me would tell me, you’ll be fine because so and so is here, don’t lose him! Eventually, we got down to that one person, and out of fear he also turned in his two weeks’ notice, because he didn’t want to be the last man standing. That’s when my manager, who had also already turned in his two weeks, made a rather astounding statement that stuck in my head to this day. He said, congratulations, you’ve lost everyone you needed to keep.

I persevered through all the resignations. It wasn’t easy. I had to mitigate a lot of demands that were placed on my department until we could get back on our feet. I was fortunate that most people were understanding of the situation. I posted a lot of positions, and did countless interviews, all while trying to keep the lights on. I eventually rebuilt an incredible new department from the ground up, hiring everyone myself, and helping them all to get up on their feet.

This is my experience with the Great Resignation. It was hard, but I made it through fine. I may have even built my department back better than it was before. There’s still that phrase left over in my head though. Congratulations, you’ve lost everyone you needed to keep.

I realize now why those words are so burned into my mind. In my life outside of work, I actually did lose the person that I needed to keep the most. They were very special to me. I can never replace them. No matter how good I am as a leader, I can’t fix this situation. I still need them more than anything. The only thing I can really do is pray they one day return to me safely.

Did you experience the Great Resignation where you work? Do you like working from home? What would you have done in my leadership role? Have you ever lost someone that you desperately needed to keep? Let me know in the comments, and please remember to like, share, and subscribe!

How often I walk.

I walk quite a bit. Every time I go to the bathroom I walk there. Just kidding!

I work in an office, which should normally be a very sedentary job, but there’s actually quite a bit of walking involved every day. From the covered parking garage, I have to walk thorough several large buildings that are interconnected to form our campus. There are elevators, stairs, and even an escalator to aid my travel, but I usually hit at least one or two staircases, and I always walk on the escalator when it’s empty. I’m not sure of the exact number of steps, but it’s a pretty long trip to my office on the third floor, and I make this hike at least four times a day because I go home for lunch. I also go in every day, rather than telecommuting, because I don’t have that option as a manger. Telecommuting can be dangerously sedentary if you don’t plan to include exercise in your daily regimen.

All this walking does take some getting used to, but I’ve come to appreciate the exercise, and it’s really a beautiful set of buildings downtown. Everyone who visits complements the architectural design and aesthetic beauty of the campus. Various paintings and other art, many from students, also line most of the walls of the buildings, giving it a pleasant and artistic vibe.

Aside from the walking at work, I also often stroll downtown to local restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. This is also usually a pleasant walk, as the downtown area is maintained very well. I see people taking pictures every time I walk around. You hardly even notice you are getting your steps in, as it feels so leisurely.

Do you do a lot of walking? Do you have a sedentary job? How do you blend exercise into your daily routine? Let me know in the comments, and please remember to like, share, and subscribe!

It wasn’t for me.

I remember there used to be a time when there wasn’t an internet, but I honestly don’t like to think about it. It was a time when everyone was expected to do everything in person or through paper. It was a time when people couldn’t work from home very easily. It was an era that predates blogging and many forms of self-publication. It was really not for me. I was born for the internet, and I spend a ridiculous amount of time there.

Some people like to blame the internet for everything, and there are some negative aspects, but if you really think about it, it has made the world a better place. Here are some things it has added.

  • Better connection to other people. Before the internet, it really wasn’t that easy to keep up with people you went to school with, or family that moved out of state. I remember my grandmother actually had to write to her cousins on paper and use snail mail. That definitely wasn’t optimal, though it did build anticipation and teach patience.
  • The internet allows for anonymity. Some people see this as an evil aspect of the internet, but I think it is absolutely critical. Societies and governments tend to silence and chastise people who criticize them out of fear that if enough people gather together, they will overthrow them. Without anonymity, those people would not be able to state the truth about their society or government.
  • It is more inclusive. The internet is pretty much everywhere now. Before it, you had to really work hard to connect with people outside your local community or state. The world has become much smaller and striking up a conversation with someone across the globe is trivial now.
  • The information age opened up tons of jobs that allow you to work from home, or anywhere there is an internet connection. You can literally work from the beach if you like. You can travel the world if you like, taking your work with you. You also don’t have to worry about that dreaded commute anymore. The only highway you have to be on is the information superhighway.
  • It provided an outlet for tons of creative minds. There are so many creators out there now. It’s almost becoming an expectation in our society. Without the ability to self-publish, you would have to get everything approved by a bureaucratic publishing system and advertising was pretty slow and expensive. Now, you just create an account on social media and start sharing.
  • Of course, the best part of having the internet is that you get to read this amazing blog. 🙂

So, what’s your favorite thing about the internet? Could you live without it? Tell me about it in the comments, and don’t forget to like and subscribe.